Architecture of Old Rangoon

A look at the architectural treasures of Myanmar.

Jan. 17, 2013 2:26 p.m. ET

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The elegant Strand hotel, which fell into decay after the military took over Burma in 1962, was recently restored to its former glory. Much of the city's colonial architecture remains derelict.
Courtesy GHM Hotels…

STILL STANDING | The Secretariat, former headquarters for the British and independent Burma, was abandoned in 2005 when the government moved the capital to Naypyidaw.
Photography by Andrew Rowat…

The Secretariat's decaying interior
Photography by Andrew Rowat…

The road to Bagan—in the '90s villagers were forcibly relocated from the archaeological site to a new town, New Bagan.
Photography by Andrew Rowat…

Many colonial buildings are still in use but not protected from developers.
Photography by Andrew Rowat…

TREAD SOFTLY | Bagan, where more than 2,500 ancient Buddhist temples spread over a vast plain, is one of Myanmar's most popular—and delicate—tourist attractions.
Photography by Andrew Rowat…

LOST HORIZON | A fisherman at Inle Lake
Photography by Andrew Rowat…

A family-run bamboo business in Bagan
Photography by Andrew Rowat…

Preservationist Thant Myint-U, at the crumbling former residence of his grandfather, U Thant, former secretary general of the United Nations
Photography by Andrew Rowat…